Earthly Eating

Not all foods are created equal. For example, yogurt is a healthy food, but not if you buy a variety that contains high-fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and/or artificial colorings. Here are some food categories and the best choices under that category for you and your family.

1. Beverages:

• Flavored water: Wateroos
• Soymilk: Silk, Edensoy, Zensoy, Soy Dream.
• Milk: Horizon Organic, Organic Valley, Natural by Nature.
• Juice: Apple & Eve, Kagome (fruit and veggie mix), R.W. Knudsen, Whole Kids, Back to Nature, Honest Tea.
(Most available in single-serve containers.)

2. Snacks:

• Yogurt: Stoneyfield Farm, Horizon, Organic, Lifeway Probugs, Whole Soy, Wallaby.
• Smoothies: Stoneyfield Farm, Bolthouse Farms, Horizon Organic.
• Chips: Stacy’s, Snyder’s of Hanover, Glenny’s, 365 Foods, Good Health, Genisoy, Lundberg, Snack Factory.
• Crackers: Wasa, Kashi, Sesmark
• Cookies: Back to Nature, Mi-Del, Newman’s Own, Immaculate Baking Co., Healthy Handfuls, Annie’s Homegrown.
• Whole Grain or Granola Bars: Odwalla, Cascadian Farm, Kashi, Clif Kid, EnviroKidz, Larabar, Barbara’s Bakery.
• Fruit Snacks: FruitaBu, Clif, Tropicana FruitWise, O Organic Rasins, Amazin’ Rasins
• Cereals: Back to Nature, Nature’s Path, Bare Naked, Kashi, Mother’s
• Applesauce: Santa Cruz, Mott’s Organics, Eden Organic
• Pudding: Lifeway, Zensoy, Kozy Shack
• Allergy-Free: Enjoy Life, Pamela’s

3. Main Dish:

• Deli Slices: Applegate Farms, Hormel Natural Choice, Organic Valley, Lightlife (GMO-Free Soy)
• Tuna: Wild Palney, Henery & Lisa’s Natural Seafood
• Mac N’ Cheese: Back to Nature, Annie’s Homegrown
• Bread: Rudy’s Organic, Wild Oats, Ezekiel
(Source: Kiwi 2007)

**Chessmaster makes its début on the Xbox Live Arcade and Dave Parrack over at 1P Start has the details. Read them here.**
______________________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe:

Cream Cheesy Chili Dip (Just in time for the Super Bowl)
Makes 24 servings

1 tub (8 oz.) cream cheese spread, softened
1 can ( 10.5 oz.) chili (canned or homemade)
1/2 cup shredded cheddat cheese
2 tbs. chopped cilantor (optional)

Spread the cream cheese onto the bottom of a microwave-safe pie plate and top with chili and cheddar cheese.

Microwave on high for 45 seconds to 1 minuteor until the cheddar cheese is melted all the way around the plate. Sprinkle on the silantro and serve. Serve with thick crackers or thick chips.

Happy Eating!

Here are three steps to mastering 3 of the main cooking techniques:

• Blanching: Also known as parboiling, blanching means cooking food by sticking the food choice into boiling water then into ice cold water. Blanching is great because it retains the color, shapoe, and firm tecture of fruits and vegetable. It also preserves their nutrients, and prepared them well for the freezer.

HOW TO BLANCH:

1. Bring 1 gallon of water for every 1 pound of fruit or vegetables to a rolling boil. Be sure and cut foods into the same size so that you achieve uniform cooking.

2. Drop the fruit or vegetables in the boiling water and cook, uncovered for the certain amount of time recommended. If you salt the water (1 tbs. salt per gallon of water) it will help keep green vegetables bright. Don’t cover the pot.

3. Drain off the water and shock the fruit or vegetable in a large bowl or pot pf ice water.

• Braising: This is a two-step process of sautéing food for flavor and then simmering it with liquid to tenderize it. Braising helps break down food fibers without making them into mush. If done in the oven, gived you continues low and even heat and prevents the food from sticking.

HOW TO BRAISE:

1. Sauté ingredients until browned on all sides.

2. Add 1/4 to 1/2 inch of liquid to the sauté. Pat dry the veggies before adding them to the pot then add your liquid, this will help carmelize them before the liquid is added. Choose liquid that complements your ingredients such as chicken broth for chicken and carrot juice for carrots, etc. Don’t add so much liquid that the food is submerged. Add just enough to help the food tenderize.

3. Cover tightly and simmer 30 minutes or longer, adding more liquid if necessary. Cover the pan with foil before adding the lid, this will help guarantee a tight seal before the pan goes in the oven. Add some lemon zest, vinegar, liqueur, or fresh herbs before serving. And use tongs to turn the food, tongs give you more control.

• Sautéing: The Fench word sauter is where the term sauté comes from, meaning “to jump”, because the goal is to keep the food moving as much as possible. Sautéing is great because it lets you add olive oil, garlic, onions, and gives food the crispy texture while the natural sugars in fruits and vegetables remain and help carmelize them at the same time.

HOW TO SAUTÈ:

1. Heat a sauté pan and oil well over medium heat. Be sure to heat the pan well before adding the oil. Medium low heat for 2 to 3 mintues should do the trick before the food is added. If you aren’t following a recipe, use 1 tbs. oil for an 8-inch sauté pan or skillet. Using a little oil with butter will help ensure the butter doesn’t burn.

2. Add foods in a single layer in the pan. Don’t over crowd the food, this will make them sweat and steam and make them soft, not crispy.

3. Keep foods in constant motion by flipping or stirring the foods while they are cooking. Use a wide-edged spatual of wood or heat resistant plastic to stir your food in the pan or skillet. Use about 1/2 cup to 1 cup liquid such as wine, broth, or even water and scrape up any stuck-on bits and let it simmer 1 minute. This helps with cleanup and gives you a nice broth to work with.

**Michelle Schaefer over at About Virginia Beach, VA blog here at 451 Press wishes you all a Happy New Year. Jump on over to her blog and give her well wishes for a new year as well.**
____________________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe

Sweet Sorbet Floats
Serves: 6

6 scoops (1/4 cup each) lemon sorbet
2 cups frozen, cubed mangoes, thawed or 2 fresh mangoes, peeled and diced
6 scoops (1/4 cup each) blood orange sorbet
6 scoops (1/4 cup each) vanilla frozen yogurt
6 tbs. lime juice
6 tbs. silver or blanco tequila, optional
4 cups ginger ale, chilled

1. Freeze 6 Collins or Pilsner glasses 20 minutes. Spoon 1 scoop lemon sorbet into each glass. Top with half of the mango pieces. Add 1 scoop blood orange sorbet and top with remaining mango pieces. add 1 scoop frozen yogurt to each glass.

2. Pour 1 tbs. lime juice and 1 tbs. tequila, if desired, into each glass. Pour 2/3 cup ginger ale into each glass. Serve immediately with iced tea spoons.

Happy Eating!

• Include kids in the lunch prep: Kids are more likely to eat something if they helped make it. Kids as young as age three can help even at the grocery store and help pick out fruits and vegetables.

• Limit choices: Don’t just ask you child what they want for lunch, give them two ot three options to choose from. Stock your pantry with healthy choices so that your child will have these choices to choose from as well.

• Utilize hungry moments: Use these moments to introduce new foods to your child. And give them to your child along with familiar foods so they can get used to them at their own pace.

• Educate them: Let your child know what each foods benefit is, such as calcium for healthy bones and carrots for healthy eyes.

• Looking and feeling good: Kids love things cut into shapes and cute containers and dipping foods as well. Things have to look and smell fresh. A tip: apples slices won’t turn brown if you toss them in a little lemon juice before packing them.

**January 2nd episode of Criminal Minds will be a rerun to start the new year with. Over at Watching Criminal Minds blog here at 451 Press, Katie Mientka has the details on that episode and the some tidbits for the upcoming broadcasts. Read it here.**

____________________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe

Chocolate, Cranberry and Oatmeal Bars
Serves: 32

1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cranberries and orange juice in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds. Let stand 10 minutes.

Combine flour, oats, baking powder and salt; set aside. Beat margarine and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Stir in cranberry mixture, chocolate and pecans.

Spread dough into a 13×9 inch baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting to serve.

Happy Eating!

The basics in any lunch or any meal at all is the main building blocks of anyone’s diet plan. Once people grasp the understanding of what their bodies need and what they aren’t given it, the “diet” fads will go bye bye. Here are some main ideas to keep in mind when making healthy food decisions.

Whole grains, fruits and vegtables (one of each), calcium and lean protein are the components of a healthy lunch. And the USDA recommends the following:

• Six onces of grains: half of the daily intake should be whole grains, but 100% is best. Whole grains contain fiber and vitamins that refined grains do not. Choose whole grain products when buying breads, tortillas, pastas, and cereal. Serve brown rice, quinoa, whole barley, bulgar or buckwheat as well.

• Two and a half cups of vegetables and one and a half cups of fruits: Choose fresh and keep it varied, since different fruits and vegetables offer different vitamins and nutrients. Include fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors, and buy what’s in season: apples in autumn, oranges in winter. Shop local farmers markets or join a community suppoerted agriculture (CSA) co-op that arranges food deliveries from a local farm. And always buy organic.

• Three cups of milk for children two to eight years old: Try to include l;owfat milk and cheese, yogurt, non-genetically modified (non-GMO) calcium fortified soy or dark, leafy greens.

• Five ounces of lean protein: Use lean varieties of turkey, chicken and ham. Fatty fish such as fresh salmon and tuna are packed with healthy omega 3-fatty acids. Low-mercury canned tuna and antibiotic and hormone-free meats, both great choices, are cold in many supermarkets, even as store brands. If the animal source protein is a problem try legumes, non-GMO tofu and tempeh are great alternatives. (Source: KIWI 2007)

**Have you thought of your New Years resolution? Chuck Hinson over at Charlotte, NC blog here at 451 Press has listed his and it’s a mighty fine list at that. Read it here.**
_______________________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe

Creamy Rice Pudding
Serves: 8

1 1/2 quarts 2% milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white rice
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine milk, sugar and rice in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a gently boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (The milk should just barely simmer, with bubbles breaking only at the outside edge of the surface. After an hour, the rice should be soft.)

Add raisins, increasse heat to medium heat, and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice has absorbed most of the rest of the milk, but not all, and the pudding is creamy (about 30 minutes longer).

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. When cool, pudding will thicken, but will be very creamy. Serve warm or well chilled.

Happy Eating!

If you have never heard of the Master Cleanse and Raw Foods Diet then listen up. It has been proven to be one of the most effective diets to cleanse your body of toxins associated with everyday lifestyles. Unless you live on a raw foods diet alone anyway, everyone’s body has some degree of toxins inside their system. Throughout the country thousands of people have done the Master Cleanse Program and will say that it really does work! They will tell you that the Master Cleanse (or the Lemonade Diet) is the fastest and most effective way to regain your vitality and to feel the joy of living again. As an added bonus, it will help you lose weight and give you more energy each day.

Here’s how the Master Cleanse and Raw Foods Diet works:

For a minimum of 10 days, drink a mixture of:

2 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice (approx. ½ lemon),
2 Tablespoons genuine (organic is best) Grade B maple syrup (Not maple-flavored sugar syrup or syrup from companies that use formaldehyde to process the syrup),
1/10 Teaspoon cayenne pepper (red pepper) or to taste, and
Water, medium hot or cold as preferred.
Combine the juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper in a 10 oz glass and fill with water — distilled, reverse osmosis, or spring fed, but not tap water.

Use fresh (organic) lemons or limes only, never canned lemon or lime juice nor frozen lemonade or frozen juice.

For diabetics, there is a section on using molasses rather than maple syrup in the beginning of the cleanse. Any diabetic should read the book and consult their doctor before beginning the cleanse.

Drink six to twelve glasses of this lemonade mixture daily. No food is eaten nor any vitamin supplements taken during the cleanse. If you get hungry, have another glass of lemonade. After all, this is also called the “lemonade diet.”

If you are overweight, you may use less maple syrup. If you are underweight, use more maple syrup if you wish. If you are worried about losing weight, “… The only things you can possible lose are mucus; waste, and disease. Healthy tissue will not be eliminated.”

Do not vary the amount of lemon juice per glass and be sure to drink at least six glasses of lemonade a day. You can drink more water, if you want.

Celebrities such as Robin Quivers and even Beyoncé have used the Master Cleanse diet and both celebrities will agree that they did feel more energetic and even lost a few pounds as a result of the cleanse.

**Gym Class Heroes perform on Last Call with Carson Daly and over at Gym Class Hero blog here at 451 Press you can watch the video and find out more about them. **

____________________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe-Count Down To Christmas Recipe Of Sweets

Fruity No-Bake Cheesecake
Serves: 16

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 (cup 1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 tbs. sugar
4 pkg. (8oz.) Neufchatel Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg. (12 oz.) frozen mixed berried (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries), thawed, drained
1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping, thawed, divided

Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, leaving some over the edge of the pan. Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter and 2 tbs sugar; press firmly onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

Beat Neufchatel cheese and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Smash drained berries with a fork; stir into cheese mixture. Gently stir in 2 cups of the whipped topping. Spoon over crust; and cover.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Use the foil that you left laying over the edge of the pan as handles to remove cheesecake from the pan before cutting it into pieces to serve. Top with the remaining whipped topping. Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator.

Happy Eating!

How about some healthy pies? Here are three “not your normal pies” that are sure to be family pleasers, even for the most picky eaters.

• PIE #1

Shepherd’s Pie:
Serves 6

1 tbs. vegtable oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 pound ground lamb (or substitute half with another ground meat)
1 cup beef or chicken broth
1 tbs. tomato paste
t tsp. chopped fresh or dry rosemary
1 tbs. chopped Italian parsley
1 cup frozen peas
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk (any fat content)
Kosher salt to taste

1. Preheat ovent o 375°F.

2. In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, heat the oil, than add the onion, carrot, and meat. Cook until browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Drain the fat and add the broth, tomato paste, and herbs. Simmer unti the juices thicken, about 10 minutes, then add the peas.

4. Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish; set aside.

5. Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes; drain.

6. Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk, and salt.

7. Spread them over the meat mixture, then crosshatch the top with a fork.

8. Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes.

• PIE #2

Ricotta Pizza Pie
Serves 12

For the crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbs. kosher salt
6 tbs. olive oil
2 eggs, beaten and mixed with 6 tbs. water

For the filling:
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated pecorino
1 pound ricotta, excess liquid drained
1 cup salami, such as sopressata, sliced or cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup shredded mozzerella (or mild cheddar or Gouda)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs. chopped Italian parsley

1. Prehat over to 400°F.

2. Place the flour, salt, and olive oil in a large bowl and work it with your hands until the oil is incorporated and the mixture resembles crumbles.

3. Add the egg mixture and toss until the dough comes together in a dry mass. (Add another tbs. or two of water, if needed). Knead until just smooth.

4. Flatten the dough into a disc. Set aside.

5. In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients except 1 tbs. of the eggs and 1 tbs. of the pecorino.

6. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch diameter pie dish with 2/3 of the dough (rolled out 1/8-inch thick), allowing for a 1-inch overhang.

7. Scrape the filling into the dish and top with the remaining 1/3 of the dough (rolled out to the same thickness). Press the edges together to seal, and cut slits in the top of the crust.

8. Brush with the reserved egg and sprinkle with the reserved cheese.

9. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake until the top has puffed out, about 1 hour more.

10. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the baking dish. Serve warm or at room temperature.

• PIE #3

Cupcake-Tin Pork Pies:
Serves 12

3/4 pound ground pork
1 medium onion, peeled and grated
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs. chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 9-inch discs prerolled, refrigerated pie dough (Such as Pillsbury)
2 eggs, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Grease two 6-cup muffin tins with butter.

3. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients but the dough and 1 tbs. of the eggs; refrigerate.

4. Unroll the dough and cut out twelve 4-inch circles with a biscuit cutter or the rim of a drinking glass.

5. Reroll the scraps, then cut out 12 more 2-inch circles.

6. Line the bottoms and sides of the tins with the 4-inch rounds.

7. Divide the filling evenly among the cups. Press the 2-inch round on top, pinching the edges together to seal.

8. Poke a hole in the center of each pie.

9. Brush with the reserved egg and bake until the tops are browned and puffed slightly. 30 to 35 minutes.

10. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing the pies. And serve warm.

**Country Music Herald, written by Heather Scoville states that there is a seasonal entry into the top ten this week with Toby Keith’s “A Classic Christmas”. And with Christmas neary it will be a great addition to your music while trimming the tree or opening those gifts on Christmas morning. Read all about it by clicking here and see the rest of the top ten for the week.**
____________________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe-Count Down To Christmas Recipe Of Sweets

Banana Smoothie
Serves: 2

2 medium bananas, peeled and sliced
1 container (8 oz.) nonfat plaing yogurt
1 1/2 cup skim milk
1 tsp. toasted wheat germ
Dash of cinnamon or nutmeg

In a blender, combine banans, yogurt, milk, and wheat germ. Blend until smooth. Pour misture into chilled glasses. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. Serve immediately.

Happy Eating!

1. The Chef’s Knife: A 8-to10-inch chef’s knife is a must in any kitchen. It works for everything from cruching garlic with the side of the blade, to chopping spinach. The large blade provides plenty of surface area for dicing potatoes or a bunch of herbs, plus plenty of sharpness and stength to tackle hard-to-slice items such as a head of ice berg lettuce. If you have smnall hands or don’t feel comfortable wielding a big knife, try a 6-inch or a santoku-style knife. Look for a high-carbon stainless steel is the material of choice for a chef’s knife. It really is the best of both worlds. High -crabon stainless knives are rust-resistant but still hold their sharpness.

2. The Pairing Knife: With its 3 1/2 to 4-inch blade, this petitie kitchen wonder can slice, dice, mince, and peel-although you will probably want to use a chef’s knife for big choppoing jobs like stir-fries and grain salads. Look for a stainless steel model with a smooth blade. Avoid cheap pseudo-serrated knives, but do look for bargans. Because of their size, paring knives can get lost in a pile of peels and accidentally thrown out.

3. The Serrated Knife: Alternate called a bread, carving, deli, or utility knife, this model is defined by its toothly blade that does just as well sawing through a crusty loaf of bread as it does slicing delicate tomatoes and citrus without crushing the insides. Look for 6-to-7-inch blade ones. You don’t need a 10-inch carving knife. The other provides plenty of slicing surface and is much easier to store in your kitchen chopping block.

**Do you love vintage anything? Over at Bead Arts Cindy Lavin has a bracelet that you would just love. It’s a vintage button bracelet and it’s as easy to make as sewing on a button. Read how to make the bracelet here.**
___________________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe- Count Down To Christmas Recipe Of Sweets-20

Rabanadas
Serves: 4

1 cup milk
1 tbs. sugar
1/2 baguette of French bread, sliced into 2-inch thick pieces
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (to taste)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (to taste)

Measure the milk and sugar. Mix together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat the eggs in another medium bowl. Set aside. Wash your hands every time you handle eggs.

Measue the confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon. Mix together in a third bowl. Set aside.

Dip each slice of bread into the milk mixture, soaking each side competely.

Use a spatula or tongs to dip both sides of the soaked bread into the eggs.

In a large frying pan, heat the oil on a medium-high setting. Fry the bread until browned on each side.

Once bread is fried, use a fork or clean tongs to dip each piece int the bowl of confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon to coat. And serve.

Happy Eating!

The store shelves are overflowing with little bottles, some with cool names even. But, most people are completely clueless when it comes to spices and using them to cook with. Here’s the low-down on certain spices and once you learn what they are used for and in what dishes it will set you on a flavorful path. There are the five basics and the five options. With the five basics everyone should have them in their cabinet and if you don’t, go get them NOW.

Then there are the five options. These spices are a given in some recipes and a “if desired” in other recipes. If you cook with some of the options quite frequently, you may want to bump them up to the five basics category.

THE BASICS: These five spices should have a pernament place in yor kitchen. They should be stored in airitght containers and away from heat and the light. And just like everyday food, spices do have a shelf-life.

• Black Pepper: Forget the flavorless pepper dust sold in the aluminum or steel cans, Switching to feshly ground black pepercorns is a great way to get a full-flavor addition to any recipe. Look for uncracked kernels with uniform color. Bite into one and inhale it. If it’s fresh, you will feel the heat right away. To avoid overpowering a dish with pepper, grind peppercorns as needed into a seperate dish or piece of parchment paper. From there, add it to a recipe, and adjust to taste.

• Cinnamon: Best known for its use in boaked goods, cinnamon also offers surprising depth of flavor and versatility in entrées and vegetable dishes. Look for brands that identify the country of origin. Buy from stores that have a high turnover of spices. Ground cinnamon can lose its flavor in 6 -10 months. Be sure and take a sniff to make sure the flavorful oils are still noticeably strong. If you can’t semll it upon opening the container, the taste won’t be so great either.

• Cumin: A signature flavor in Mexican and Indian cuisines, cumin has a bright, grassy taste, that’s instantly recognizable. It’s one of the main seasoinging in chili. Cumin is potent enought to hold up to roasting and long simmerings, but try adding a pionch at the every end of cooking to get the full flavoring of the spice.

• Herb Blend: Wheather you choose Italian seasoning, or your own miux of dried basil, oregano, and thyme, a basic herb blend can liven up everything from a salad dressing to a savory stew. Intensely aromatic leaves, rub them between your fingers and take a smell. Mix 1 part herb bvelnd with 3 parts coarse sea salt for an all-purpose table seasoning.

• Paprika: Underused spice that can serve as a thickener and flavor enhances for simple dishes. Vibrant reddish-orange powder that smells slightly fruity . If possible, taste a bit on your fingertip, it should be semi-sweet in taste. Steer clear of the various versions that are hot in flavor or spicy in flavor. They are blended with other spices that tend to be VERY hot.

THE OPTIONS: These categories have the classic taste flavors that will round out an spice rack and give you enough variety to season a full load of food and cooking dishes. The options in each category are interchangeable in most recipes, though their flavors are entirely different.

• Chili or Curry Powder: One has Tex-Mex and the other is inspired by the dishes of India, but both are all-purpose belnds that can be used in everything from dips to bean dishes. Salt free beans whose first ingredient isn’t paprika ( in the case of chili powder) or turneric (for curry powder) is what you want to keep your eye out for. Experiment with different brand until you find the belnd that suits your taste buds better and that works best in what you are preparing.

• Fennel or Caraway: These two similer-looking seeds have uniquw, and distinc flavors. Fennel tastes like licorice in a way, and caraway is a woody and plesantly bitter taste. Look for whole seeds that are uniform in color. Crack seeds or grind them completly in a grinder to release flavor. To crack them, simply place desired amount in a reseable plastic bag and crush with the bottom of a skillet or the flat end of a meat cleaver. You may also toast them after cracking to help release even more flavor.

• Dill Weed or Rosemary: Fragrant and hearty, both retain their original flavor when dried and can stand up to stronger ingredients. Rosemary has heady pine overtones where dill is slightly sour in taste. Look for full leaves that are vibrant green in color. Rub between your fingers and smell for freshness. Balance the intesity of these herbs with pungent ingredients, like vinegar in dressings and simmer slowly to capture the full robust flavor of these herbs.

• Mustard or Coriander: Mustard and coriander seeds work best in foods that cook slowly and release their flavors. Coriander has a faint lemon flavor, where mustard seeds are mildly spicy. They work great in brasied cabbage and other leafy greens, as well as spicy stews, sauces, and marinades. Toast the seeds in a dry skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to help release the full herbs flavor.

• Nutmeg, Allspice, or Cloves: Each of these spices are strong, but used properly, they can be interchanged in recipes to help boost mild flavor dishes. Look for whole, light brown nutmegs without blemishes and whole, undamaged allspice berries or clove buds. Ground nutmeg loses its flavor within hours, so buy whole and shave as needs using s grater or zester.

COOKING WITH THESE HERBS AND SPICES:

Using Black Pepper: Peppery Spinach with Nutmeg Cream

2 cups low-fat milk
2 tps. ground nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 10-ounce package of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 4 12 oz. custard dished with cooking spray.

2. Place milk, nutmeg, and pepper in a saucepan, and season with salt. Bring to a boul. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, or until volume has reduced by one-third, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cool 10 minutes.

3. Stir in spinach, cottage cheese, and eggs. Spoon into prepared custard dishes, and sprinkle each with 2 tbs. breadcrumbs.

4. Set custard dishes in a roasting pan and fill pan one-third full with hot water. Bake 45 minutes, or until tops are browned.

Using Cumin: Root Vegetable Chili Soup

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
2 tbs. canola oil
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tbs.)
4 tsp. mild chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 small rutabages, peeld and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1 1/2 lbs.)
2 med. carrots, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1/2 lb.)
1 28-oz.can diced tomatoes
1 small russet potato, finely diced (1 cup)
1 banana pepper, seeded and chopped (3/4 cup)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped (2/3 cup)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced, optional
1 15-ox. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Chopped green onions or cilantro for garnish

1. Heat large pot over medium heat. Add corn, and sauté 2 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Add oil, onion, and garlic, and sauté 3 to 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Stir in chili powder and cumin, and cook 2 minutes , scraping bottom of pan with spatula.

2. Add rutabages, carrots, tomatoes, potato, banana pepper, bell pepper, jalapeno, if using, and 3 cups of water.

3. Bring pot to a simmer, and season with salt. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 1 hour, stiurring occasionally.

4. Add beans and cook, uncovered, 45 minuteas, or until soup thickend. Serve garnished with green onions or cilantro.

Using Paprika: Paprika Cauliflower Pita Pockets

1 head cauliflower (2 lb.), cut into bite-size florets
3 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. ground balck pepper
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1 small red onion, diced (1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tbs. lemon juice
4 pita bread rounds, halved and warmed

1. Steam cauliflower 7 to 9 minutes, or until tender

2. Heat oil, paprika, pepper, and salt in nonstick over medium-low heat, 2 minutes, stirring constanly. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes more. Stir broth and caulkiflower, and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in lemon juice. Serve with pita halves.

Using Dijon Mustard: Dilled Potato Frittata

1 lb. russet potatoes, sliced
3 tbs. cider vinegar
3 tbs. olive oil, divided
2 tbs. dried dill weed, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.), divided
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1 small onion, finely diced (1 cup)
1 small tomato, diced (3/4 cup)
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, optional

1. Soak poatoes in cold water wo minutes to remove excess starch. Drain and pat dry. Whisk together vinegar, 2 tbs. olive oil, 1 tbs. dill, 3 tsp. garlic, mustard, pepper, and salt in a large bowl.

2. Cook poatoies in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and toss with dill mixture.

3. Preheat oven to broil. Heat remaining oil in an oven proof skillet over medium high heat. Sauté onion and tomato for 5 minutes, or unti soft. Transfer to bowl and fold in eggs.

4. Spread potato mixture in the same skillet, and reduce heat to medium. Cover, and cook for 6 minutes, or until crust begins to form on underside. Pour egg mixture over potatoes. Cook 4 minutes, or until eggs are set.

5. Combine yogurt, remaining dill, and garlic in a bowl. Top frittata with cheese, if desirec, and place under broiler for 2 minutes. Slice into wedges, and serve with yogurt mixture.
(Source: Some information pulled from Vegan News 2007)

**Elisa, over at Watching Doctor Who is back from vacation and she gives you not one, not two, but three videos on Doctor Who. And I have to agree with her, John Barrowman is a very handsome man. Makes me want to become an avid follower of his.**
__________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe: (Today Begins Week Of Sweets)

Chocolate-Glazed Maple Spice Cake

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbs. baking powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup solid vegetable shortening
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
3/4 cup maple syrup
3 eggs
1 tsp. maple flavor
3/4 cup milk

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp. maple flavor
3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Frosting:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Whole walnuts, for garnishment

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Coat three 8×2-inch round layer-cake pans with shortening; dust with flour, discarding excess.

2. Cake: Whisk flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a bowl.

3. Beat shortening in a second bowl unitl smooth and creamy. Beat in sugar and maple syrup. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add maple flavor; beat until smooth. On low speed, beat in half of the flour mixture, then milk, then remaining flour mixtrure. Spred batter in prepared pans, dividing evenly.

4. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 28 minutes, until golden brown. Cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Remove coakes directly yo rack to cool completely.

5. Filling: Beat cream cheese, butter and maple flavor in a bowl until good spreading consistency is reached. Place cake layer on serving dish. Top with 1 1/4 cups filling. Place second cake layer on top, then remaining 1 1/4 cups filling. Top with third layer.

6. Frosting: In a saucepan, heat cream just to a simmer. Pour over chocolate in a small bowl; whisk until smooth. Cool 5 minutes, until thicker but still pourable. Pour over cake, spreading to allow some to dribnle down the sides. Top with walnuts. Refrigerate 15 minutes before serving.

Happy Eating!

Thanksgiving is the day of the year when we eat so much that most of us afterward need a good long nap to feel better. Eating healthy and indluging don’t really go hand and hand on this day either. But, eating reasonably healthfully isn’t a loos cause on this day of thanks. Here’s how to keep in check and not go over-board with eating.

• FOWL: If the choice is between glazed nitrate-cured ham or traditional big bird, opt for the poultry. Although the dark meat has a higher fat content, it’s also richer in iron and zinc, two important minerals most Americans don’t get enough of. A smaller portion will take you farther nutrionally than an equal portion of white meat.

• SIDES: Most of your holiday sides are where the nutrition actions is, at least they’re done right. Winter squash, squash as butternut squash and pumpkin, is loaded with vitamin A as beta-carotene and other antioxidants to help prevent heart disease and cancer. They’re also a good source of potassium and brimming with fiber. Fiber helps prevent a number of cancers while acting as a probotic and feeding the helpful microorganisms in the digestive tract.

• YAMS/SWEET POTATOES: Like the other yellow, orange, and gold root veggies, they have the vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and fiber. But they also are one of the best sources of food energy. Boiled or steamed sweet potatoes and yams are one of the healthiest foods people can eat. The low-heat cooking helps them retain more nutrients and provide the type of carbohydrates most suited for weight management and blood-sugar control.

• THE COLOR RED: Red fruits and vegetables are some of the best sources of vitamins and antioxidants. Berries contain proanthocyanidins that can prevent the adhesion of various bacteria associated with urinary tract infections, gum disease, and stomach ulcers.

• DRIED FRUITS: Look to dried fruits such as dried plums, dried figs, raisins, and dried cherries, for more than iron, zinc and other minerals. They have plenty of calcium, too. And of course, they are loaded with fiber and potassium. You can make pies from most of them, add them to stuffing, sauces, and compotes, or eat them just they way they are with some nuts.

**Toys-R-Us makes a statement about the many recent toy recalls. Read the statement made by a Toys-R-Us spokesperson over at Reviewing Toys. While you are there Eliza Ferree has posted many reviews of other toys, so before you buy read some of her postings to see if the toy is a good buy or not.**
_________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe: Day 5 Of Low-Fat Eating

Guilt-Free, Low-Fat, Healthy Snacks For You And Your Family

• Just Vegetables: Dehydrated niblets of corn, carrots, peas, tomatoes, and bell peppers make eating veggies almost as satisfying as eating popcorn. There is nothing added, so all you get is phytochemicals, fiber, and vitamins A and C. Plus a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Find them at natural foods stores everywhere or click here for an online company distribution.

• Dried Fruits: Here is a snack that’s packed with potassium, antioxidants, and fiber. Granted, dried fruit is high in sugar, but that actually makes it a food choice when you need a little pick-me-up. You can munch a cup of dried blackberries and take in just 90 calories and a whopping 9 grams of fiber in them.

• Edamame: A traditional snack in Japan, edamame, or blanched soybeans in pids, are becoming increasingly available in the United States. The sweet, nutty-tasting beans are loaded with soy protein, which has been shown to help lower cholesterol. A half cup of chelled beans has 125 calories and 4 grams of fiber. Look for unsalted edamame in the frozen foods section.

• Sliced Raw Vegetables: Make you own mini-party platter with sweet red peppers, baby carrots, celery, and a bit of hummus. The fiber in the veggies and creamy bean dip will fill you up, withgout loading you down with calories.

• Rice Cakes: Whole grains are the prixe here. Diets rich in whole grains ,ay reduce your risk of diabetes and some cancers. Unsalted rice cakes can be cardboardly; if you’re eating them unadorned, opt for ones with a littel salt. Quaker’s Lightly Salted rice cakse are satisfying crunchy and are made with only two ingredients, whole grain brown rice and salt. Two cakes, deliver 70 calories and a scant of 30 milligrams of sodium.
————————-
Lime and Ginger Custards
Serves: 5

1 tsp. lime zest
1/3 cup fresh like juice
1/2 cup cup sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 tsp finely grated ginger

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Whisk together all the ingredients in a large glass bowl.

3. Place five 4-ounce custard cups in a large baking dish. Fill cups 3/4 of the way from being full with the mixture.

4. Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the custard cups.

5. Place baking pan in the oven and bake for 30 mintues, or until just about set. The centers should be slightly liquid.

6. Remove pan from the oven and let custard cool in the water bath.

7. Chill and serve.

Happy Eating!

I did a posting on your bodies pH level a few days back. Click here to read that posting. The most through benefit you can give your body and to a healthy heart is to keep your pH level in balance. When the pH level in your body is in check the rest of your body is in check and works as a team to continue to keep you healthy. Once you know what foods tend to be acidic or alkaline, you can make smarter choices on whether you should be dining in or can splurge for a night and dine out. Here is a great guide to help you get on the right path to eating healthier.

° ACIDIC FOODS:

• Vegetables: Cucumber, eggplant, string beans, sauerkraut.

• Fruits: Pineapple, quince, kiwi, kumquat, citrus, berries, apples, apricots.

• Grains: White flour.

• Legumes: Baked beans in a sweet sauce or tomatoe sauce.

• Dairy Foods: Yogurt.

• Animal Products: Dry sausage, beef, pork.

• Sweetness: White sugar.

• Condiments: Vinegar, mayonnaise, pickles.

• Beverages: Colas, wines, juices such as citrus, apple, and tomato.

• Chinese: Sweet an sour soup, deep fried pork in sweet sauce.

• Italian: Green salad with vinigrette dressing, pasta bolognese.

• Mexican: Ceviche, carne asada with refried beans.

° ALKALINE FOODS:

• Vegtables: Mushrooms, cauliflower, corn, broccoli, peas, onions, sweet potatoes, squash, asparagus, carrots, spinach, sweet peas.

• Fruits: Melon, papaya, avocado, dates, figs, persimmons.

• Grains: Whole grains, buckwheat, hominy, millet.

• Legumes: Soybeans, lima beans.

• Dairy Foods: Most cheese, milk, butter.

• Animal Products: Seafood, eggs, duck.

• Sweetness: Maple syrup, brown rice syrup, honey.

• Condiments: Dutch processed chocolate, garlic, hot peppers.

• Beverages: Mineral water, tea, beer.

• Chinese: Egg drop soup, stir-fried vegetables with tofu.

• Italian: Prosciutto and melon, linguine with clam sauce.

• Mexican: Guacamole, chicken mole with stewed beans.

Knowing what is alkaline and what is more acidic will keep your body and health in check. If you feel you are more alkaline then eat more acidic foods, and visa-versa.

**The kids of Kid Nation are getting bored. In the latest episode they all laid down in the road out of borem. I hope this means the audience doesn’t get bored as well. Over at TV Bender, Eliza Ferree talks about how bored the kids are getting. Read the rest of the story by clicking here.**
________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe: Day 4 of Low-Fat Eating

Low-Fat Dieting

Forget flip-flpping with diets, stick with these eight basic principles for a healthy, low-fat diet plan.

1. Replace bad fats with good fats.

2. Use meat sparingly.

3. Learn to love beans, grains and nuts.

4. Eat fish at least twice a week.

5. Load up on greens and veggies.

6. Kick the potato habit.

7. Go for the whole grains.

8. Satisfy your sweet tooth with fruits and try to stay way from refined sugars.
(Source: Health Journal 2006)
————————–
Braised Eggplant with Chickpeas
Serves: 6

2 tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, diced ( about 1 1/2 cups)
6 medium Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 clove of garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup marinara sauce
1 tbs. red wine vinegar
1 15-oz. can chickpease, rinsed and drained
2 large mint springs, plus 2 tbs. chopped mint additionally

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-heat. Add onion, and sauté 7 minutes, or until soft. Stir in eggplant, and cook 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add garlic, allspice, and cumin, and cook 1 minute more.

2. Stir in marinara sauce, vinegar, and 2/3 cup water, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Removed from heat, and stiry in chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper. Lay mint springs on top of eggplant mixture, cover, and transfer pot to the oven. Cook 45 to 50 minutes, or until eggplant is tender. Remove mint sprigs, and stir in chpped mint. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Happy Eating!

The Truth About Folic Acid:
Foods to which folic acid has been added (like cerals and pasta) are what’s really responsible for the recent improvements in folic-acid blood levels not in dietary supplements found in common form which is unfortified items as recently thought.

How To Build Your Own Food Pyramid:
If the food pyramid was based on your eating habits instead of the ideal diet from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), what would it look like? Go to USDA/CNPP. Click on the link under the “Healthy Eating Index” , register and list your lastest meals. In return, you will get a non-hold-barred analysis of your diet, including a personalized pyramid. If it’s a little off, don’t fret. You can record up to 20 days’ worth of eating habits, so you have the opportunity to build a better pyramid.

Organic: What It Really Means:
Don’t give up if you don’t know the difference between products labeled “organic” and “100% organic.” Though the U.S Department of Agriculture just implemented its national standards, the word is still slow in getting out on what the many newly defined terms actually mean. To learn more, check out A Practical Guide to Understainding Organic by Stoneyfeild Farms.

**MAC’s newest holiday collection is more than just shiney it’s almost antique. Marco Felgueiras over at Hot or Not Beauty has the entire story on how popular it is and where you can get your own MAC’s shiney collection. Read how here.**
__________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe: (Day 3 of Low-Fat Eating)

Low-Fat Milk And Your Diet:
Drinking low-fat milk before or with a meal helps you feel more full sooner and eat less the next time. The lighter the milk, the greater the effect. That is, fat-free milk works better than 1 precent, and both work better than 2 precent. Going low-fat also takes a load of calories out of your diet. Nearly every successful strategy for cutting fat from your diet includes drinking lower-fat milk.

Low-Fat Frozen Desserts:
Many people keep eating until the have had something sweet. Fortunately, that doesn’t have to be bad. Frozen desserts are a good way to satisfy a sweet tooth without piling on calories. A Creamsicle® weighs in at just 100 calories, and a Tofutti Cutie® vanilla or wild berry sandwich is only 120 calories. A half-cup of chocolate frozen yogurt adds a modest 115 calories to your dinner. Of course, people who have gotten used to this appraoch can use another treat. Have a satisfying amount of low-energy density food at your meal and then for dessert eat one piece of the most delicious chocolate you can find.

———–
Raspberry-Orange Smoothie
Serves: 2

1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1 orange, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup raspberry or orange flavored yogurt

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses that are fluted and serve.

Happy Eating!

The best way to buy and store milk is a no brainer, but for those of you who don’t know the particulars, here’s a quick lesson on milk.

• Choose a carton over a clear plastic jug: The more light milk is exposed to, the more nutrients it may lose, espeically riboflavin and vitamin A. And the greater the chance it will develop an off flavor. So the paper carton does help in filtering out harmful light, other flavors, etc.

• Check the date: Milk generally stays good, unopened, until two or three days after the “sell by” date. On average, it takes milk three to five days to go from the cow to your grocers cooler. At the store, it has a shelf life of about two weeks. Ultrapasteurized milk, unopened, may be good for 50 to 90 days. Milk in aseptic cartons, which need not be refrigerated until opened, is good for up to a year unopened.

• Keep it cold: Pick up refrigerated milk just before you check out at the grocery store. At home, set your fridge at 40°F or below to prevent milk from spoiling faster than it should normally. Keep it on the middle to lower shelf at the very back of your refirgerator, which is the coldest spot in your fridge.

• Don’t contaminate it: After pouring milk, return the container to the fridge right away. Never pour unused milk back into the carton, it may contain bacteria.

• Use it or lose it: Once it’s opened, milk spoils in a week to 10 days. Go by the old standby and smell it, “the sniff test”. If it smells bad, throw it out.

**Looking for a way to blog successfully? Then check out what Lynn Little over at SEO Dance has as far as using Twitter for a website blogging choice. Read the whole story here.**
__________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe: Week Of Salmon Recipes (Day 5)

Mexican Layered Salmon Dip
Severs: 5 cups dip or 40 servings

1 pkg. (8-oz.) Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 less fat than cream cheese
1 tbs. Taco seasoning mix
1 cup Salsa (thick and chunky style)
1 cup drained canned black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup 2% milk shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce or spinach leaves
3 pkg. (13 oz. each) baked tortilla chips
2-3 salmon filletts

1. Poach slamon fillets by placed fish in a large saucepan, and add water to cover. Set pan over high heat. Bring to a boil; immediately remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes; drain. Add to a large bowl and break salmon into small peices with a fork, drain any water that the fish may still have around it.

2. Beat Neufchatel cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add seasoning mix; beat until well blended. Add poached salmon fillets after breaking into small pieces. Stir till combined very well. Spread onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate or quiche dish.

3. Layer reminaing ingreidents over Neufchatel cheese mixture, and cover.

4. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Happy Eating!

Althought typically thought of as a root, ginger is actually a rhizome that possess buds and nodes. Native to India and China, it has been a crucial element in Chinese medicine for centuries and is referenced in the writings of Confusious. It also is mentioned in the Koran and was one of the earliest known Western European spices, used since the ninth century.

In cooking, ginger is enjoyed in many ways, whole raw and fresh roots, dried roots, powdered, preserved, crystallized and pickled. It can be sliced and eaten as a salad, but more commonly it is used in Asian pickles, chutneys and curry pastes, as well as in cakes, cookies, jams, ginger beer, wine and tea, such as ginger, lemon and honey in hot water. Another drink known to use ginger as one of the main ingredients is a smoothie that combines ginger and orange. It is sort of a wake-up drink that can be enjoyed in the morning hours instead of coffee. In Scotland, “ginger” means any carbonated soft drink.

Shaving ginger on a cheese grater and wrapping the shavings into cheese cloth is a great way to rid your body of toxins when combined with your hot bath. Or you could incorporate ginger when cooking chicken to give your chicken an added kick. Crystalized ginger has been used for many years to be an all-natural cure for nausea or motion sickness.

For the skin, ginger is known mainly for its anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxing properties, as well as its calming aromatherapeutic qualities. Its spicy scent uplifts, stimulates, helps relieve mental fatigue and improves memory. In the United Kingdom “ginger” is common slang for a red-haired individual and South Park® cartoon did a skit portraying this a few years back.

Ginger takes its name from the Sanskrit word string-vera, which means “with a body like a horn.” It also became so popular in Europe in earlier centuried that it was included in every table setting, just like salt and pepper are today. English pubs in the 19th century put out small containers of ground ginger for people to sprinkle on their beers, hince the origin of Ginger Ale. Ginger has long been considered an aphrodisiac. It is also known as a diaphoretic meaning it causes people to sweat.

Ginger was mentioned in the Kama Sutra and has been employed in the Melanesian Islands of the South Pacfic to gain the affection of women. In the Philippines, ginger is chewed to expel eveil spirits. Henry VIII instructed the mayor of London to use ginger’s diaphoretic qualities as a medicine for the plague as well.

Use the aromatherapeutic values of ginger to relieve stress, tension, muscle cramps, etc. Wheather through treatments, in cusine or as a fragrance. Feel the warm feelings that gingers aroma will evoke into your own life. You won’t soon forget your experience, especially when you smell calming gingers qualities. It will enhance your beauty regimen and will most certainly end in a memorable experience with Ginger.

**Ever wonder what’s been happening to Rachel (aka: Jennifer Aniston) off Friends? Over at Jennifer Aniston Watch, Erin catches you up on a few things as well as talks about the season nine episode and how the new image of “Rachel” really set with audiences. Read the rest of the story here.**
__________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe: Week Of Salmon Recipes (Day 4)

Grilled Salmon Steajs with Cilantro Peasto and Cumin-Dusted Toasts
Serves: 4

Cilantro Pesto:
2 cups fresh colantro leaves
4 tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tbs. water
2 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Grilled Salmon and Cumin-Dusted Toasts:
4 (5-ounce_ salmon steaks, about 1-inch-thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Olive-oil cooking spray
1 baguette, sliced crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds
1 bunch fresh asparagus (about 1/2 pound), woody ends trimmed
1 tsp. ground cumin, or more to taste

1. Preheat grill.

2. To prepare pesto, in a blender combine cilantro, lime juice, water, Parmesan cheese, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. Purée until smooth. Set aside.

3. Season both sides of salmon with salt and pepper to taste. Spray baguette rounds and asparagus with cooking spray. Sprinkle both sides of bread slices with cumin, and salt to taste. Place salmon on hot grill, and arrange bread and asparagus around the outside, where to grill is not as hot. Grill salmon, bread, ans asparagus 5 to 7 minutes then turn fish and bread halfway through cooking, while turning asparagus frequently. Cook until fish is fork-tender, bread is golden brown and the asparagus is crisp-tender.

Happy Eating!

• A small change: A small change can be a big one to your diet. If it’s the right one. If you replace th stnadard iceberg lettuce in hanburgers, tacos, and subd with fresh spinach, you add an awesome amount of vitmain A and C, folic acid, and other nutrients to meals. Honestly you can’t taste the lettuce or the spinach difference at all. So you can try this painless way to sneak more nutrition into your and your family’s favorite foods. Toss fresh spinach into anything. Salad mixes, sandwiches, pizzas and anything else you can think of. There is a restaurant in Arkansas, where I used to live, that served spinach topped pizza and let me tell you it was the best. It gave the cheese on the pizza a richer taste.

• Make a better oatmeal: For a morning calcium boost, cook instant oatmeal with skim (or soy) milk instead of water.

•De-ice your smoothies: Use frozen bananas instead of crushed ice for a nutritious twist to your favorite smoothie.

•Mix your cereals: If you are stuck on a sweet breakfast cerals, try belinging your favorite with a bett-for0you brand. For example: Mix Honey Nut Cheerious® with Grape-Nuts® or Cap’n Crunch® with some type of bran cereal.

•Modify your muffins: Mix high-fiber, nutrient-dense dried fruits like apricots into your batter, half the all-purpose flour with soy flour.

Here is another FYI in the cereal department: Eating more ceral fiber, the kind found in whole wheat breadm ceral, pasta, rice, and oats, may help you avoid one type of stomach cancer. If you consume cereal fiber you have over a 70% lower chance in developing certain types of cancers such as oral cancers, stomach cancer, throat cancers, and cancer of the esophagus.

** Think you are bypassing caffeine by drinking a citrus soda, you maybe getting just as much if not more than a regular cola. Over at Encouraging Health, Brick O’Neil shows a run down of some of the most popular citrus sodas compared to regular colas and shows their caffeine content. Read the whole story here.**
__________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe: Week Of Salmon Recipes, Day 3

Chili-Rubbed Salmon With Gazpacho-Black Bean Salso
Serves: 4

Ingredients for the Chili-Rubbed Salmon:
Olive oil cooking spray
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tbs. sugar
3 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. finely ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 (5-ounce) salmon fillets

Gazpacho-Black Bean Salsa:
1 cup tomato juice
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded, and diced (optional)
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, and set aside.

3. In a shallow dish, combine lemon juice, sugar, chili powder, lemon zest, cumin, salt, and balck pepper. Mix with a fork, or whisk until blended. Add salmon fillets, and turn to coat. Transfer salmon to prepared baking shett, and roast 15 minutes until fork-tender.

4. Combine all salsa ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. Serve salmon with salsa on top and alongside.

Happy Eating!

You should maintain your acid-alkaline balance to curtail colds and keep inflammation in check. Paying attention to the acid-alkaline balance is one if the most crucial ways you can affect your health status. It inpacts immunity, digestoion, bone strength, symptoms of joint disease, hormones, and the function of essential internal organs. What’s more, a spoonful of alkalinity can also lessen the severity of colds, sore throats, and other winter illnesses.

First of all, what is pH? It is a measure of acidity and alkalinity. The word comes from the French pouvoir hydrogène, pH describes hydrogen ion activity. A pH of 1 is more acidic, 7 is neutral, and 14 is the most alkaline. The balance of aciity and alkalinity in your body allows essential chemical reactions to take place in cells and tissues. The stomach, with all its fluctuation digestive juices, is more acid than the brain or blodd, which are slightly alkaline (at about 7.1 and 7.4). The balances are maintained via various proteins, minerals, and kidney and lung functions. Everything you eat or drink affects PH balance. Breathing regulates PH as well.

Cells need to be slightly alkaline; most Americans, however, suffer from an abundance of acidity. Stress, medications, illness, and highly strenuous exercise promot acid production; so do many of the foods favored in the typical Western diet. Fatty, high-protein fast foods like cheeseburgers and french fries trigger the stomach to secrete extra amounts of acidic digestive juices. Refined flour and sugar, reduce the acid compounds once they’re metabolized. Considering that too much acidity is associated with many degenerative disease, from colitis to rheumatoid arthritis, this “value meal” isn’t such a bargin after all huh?

Age is also a contributing factor. Acid-alkaline balance is relatively easy to maintain whne we are young and out regulating mechanisms are in good working order. But, each passing decaed, starting in our 40s or even earlier, the efficiency of our buffering systems begins to decline rapidly.

Take for instance the following the following foods and where the are on the pH scale. Most foods range between 2 and 8 on the pH scale:

•Blackberries: 3.8-4.5

•Tomato: 4.3-4.9

•Banana: 4.5-5.2

•Whole-Wheat Bread: 5.4-5.8

•Potato: 5.4-5.9

•Artichoke: 5.5-6.0

•Cantaloupe: 6.1-6.6

•Brown Rice: 6.2-6.8

•Sea Bass: 6.5-6.8

•Tofu: 7.2

•Tea: 7.2

•Camembert Cheese: 7.4

Here are 10 ways to Alkaline:

1. For Breakfast: Instead of orange juice, coffee, and a bagel, have a slioce of melon, herbal tea or a garin-bases coffee substitute, and whole-grain toast.

2. At Lunch: Opt for bean or vegetable soup rather than tomato soup.

3. Add Crunch And Color To Your Salad: With celery and sweet red peppers rather than tart cucumber and tomatoes. And instead of an acidic vinaigrette, prepare a dressing using tahini and soy sauce: In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste), 1/4 cup water, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce, beating together with a fork. Stir in 1 tablespoon finely ground parsley, and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

4. If You Feel Like A Burger: Stick tyo soy meats.

5. Choose Fish: It’s more alkalizing than red meat.

6. Iced Ginger Tea: Has the pleasing bite of a cola drink wihtou the high acidity.

7. For A Calcium Fix: Choose a small wedge of cheese (typically 5.0 to 6.1 pH) over yogurt (3.8 to 4.2). Ypgurt with sugar-sweetened fruit may be even more acidic; once sugar is metabolized, it ends up as acid in your system.

8. To Make A Less Acidic Fruit Salad: Use guava, papaya, watermelon, cantaloupe, pear, banana, figs, and dates.

9. Raise A Glass: Filled with a favorite beer insead of a tart wine to make a toast.

10. Avoid Acidity Triggers: Food sensitivities can bring about symptoms of over-acidity. Some common culprits include wheat, dairy, bus, and seafood.

Do you think you are unbalanced? To find out wheather your syustem is generally alkaline or overly acid, you can have some fun running informal tests at home. The following yes/no questionaire will give you an idea of how much you should change your pH level. And if you are luck, you won’t need to change a thing:

1. After consuming fried foods, red meat, fast food, colas, or desserts, I don’t feel my best.

2. I eat refined foods like white flour and sugar regularly.

3. I regularly take asprin, antibiotics, or unbuffered vitamin C.

4. Vigorous exercise often leaves me feeling exhausted.

5. After an hour of work at my desk, I’m mentally and physically tired.

6. My muscles often feel stiff and sore.

7. I have a history of osteoporosis, arthritis, or gout.

8. I frequently get sick with colds.

9. I am susceptible to sore throats, canker sores, or food allergies.

10. I am over the age of 50.

(If you answered yes to five o more of these questions, you are more than likely to be over acidic. Even one yes could be an indicator. Talk to your doctor to get a more accurate test and to find out how to change it.)

(Source: Some information pulled from NH 2007)

**Do you think the image of Santa is too fat? Do you think the American public should have a thinner role model for Christmas time? Over at Get Incensed, Mark Jabo writes about how thinner Santas are wanted over heavier ones. Read the whole story here.**
_________________________________________________
Earthly Eating Recipe: Week Of Salmon Recipes Day 2

Creamy Salmon Caesar Salad With Sourdough Croutons
Serves: 4

2 cups cubed sourdough bread
Olive oil cooking spray
1 pound slamon fillet
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup nonfat reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 anchovy fillets (optional)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups tomaine lettuce, rinsed well and patted dry, torn

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. To prepare croutons, arrange sourdough cubes on a large baking sheet. Spray cubes with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes until golden brown. Set aside.

3. Place slamon in a shallow, microwave-safe baking dish. Cover dish with plastic wrap, and microwave, on HIGH for 3 minutes or until fish is fork-tender, rotating dish halfway through cooking.

4. Transfer salmon to a cutting board, and using two forks, break up fish into 2-inch pieces. Discard skin, and set salmon pieces aside.

5. In a blender combione sour cream, chicken broth, 2 tbs. Parmesan. lemon juice, garlic, anchovies, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Purée until smooth.

6. Place lettuce in a large bowl, and add salmon and croutons. Drizzle dressing over top of salad, and gently toss to coat. Transfer mixture to 4 individual serving bowls, and sprinkle remaining Parmesan over top.

Happy Eating!